Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community and Life in the Modern World
Ariel Evan Mayse and Sam Berrin Shonkoff, editors
A vibrant and polyphonic set of Hasidic confrontations with the modern world
Hasidism has attracted, repelled and bewildered philosophers, historians and theologians since its inception in the 18th century. In “Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community, and Life in the Modern World,” Ariel Evan Mayse and Sam Berrin Shonkoff present students and scholars with a vibrant and polyphonic set of Hasidic confrontations with the modern world. In this collection, they show that the modern Hasid marks not only another example of a Jewish pietist, but someone who is committed to an ethos of seeking wisdom, joy and intimacy with the divine.
While this volume focuses on Hasidism, it wrestles with a core set of questions that permeate modern Jewish thought and religious thought more generally: What is the relationship between God and the world? What is the relationship between God and the human being? But Hasidic thought is cast with mystical, psychological and even magical accents, and offers radically different answers to core issues of modern concern. The editors draw selections from an array of genres, including women’s supplications; sermons and homilies; personal diaries and memoirs; correspondence; stories; polemics; legal codes; and rabbinic responsa. These selections consciously move between everyday lived experience and the most ineffable mystical secrets, reflecting the multidimensional nature of this unusual religious and social movement. The editors include canonical texts from the first generation of Hasidic leaders up through present-day ultra-orthodox, as well as neo-Hasidic voices and, in so doing, demonstrate the unfolding of a rich and complex phenomenon that continues to evolve today.
"Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community, and Life in the Modern World, collected, edited, and introduced by Ariel Mayse and Sam Berrin Shonkoff, two rising scholars in the field, is a significant addition to The Brandeis Library of Modern Jewish Thought. While numerous volumes of Hasidic texts translated into English already exist, Mayses and Berrin-Shonkoff have presented a historically contextualized cross-section of Hasidic literature, each with a brief introduction, including relevant annotations and notes. In a sweeping and cogent Introductory essay, the authors examine the problematic notion of modernity as applied to Hasidism, suggesting a more fluid understanding of modernity in order to situate the Hasidic movement within its orbit. The author’s periodization, stretching from Hasidim’s origins through neo-Hasidism to the present, enables their readers to witness the changing vicissitudes of Hasidic literature as it moves through time. Especially welcome is the attention to gender, and the role of women, in Hasidic life and letters. An indispensable resource for those interested in Hasidism and its role in Modern Jewish Thought." — Shaul Magid, Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
"This dazzling collection of Hasidic wisdom—both traditional and contemporary—will stimulate and enlighten its readers. Among the book’s themes are: discovering God in the material world and deep within one’s self, mystical nothingness, and the cosmic significance of human action. In addition to displaying gems of famous Hasidic masters, the editors include women’s voices, memoirs, anti-Hasidic polemics, theological responses to the Holocaust and the State of Israel, and neo-Hasidic teachings. A superb resource for intellectual and spiritual exploration." — Daniel Matt, author of The Essential Kabbalah and the multi-volume, annotated translation, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition
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About the Editors
Ariel Evan Mayse is assistant professor at Stanford University and holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies from Harvard University and rabbinic ordination from Beit Midrash Har'el in Israel. He is the author of From the Depth of the Well: An Anthology of Jewish Mysticism and coauthor with Arthur Green of the forthcoming A New Hasidism: Branches.
Sam Berrin Shonkoff is Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is the editor of Martin Buber: His Intellectual and Scholarly Legacy. His book on Buber's interpretations of Hasidic sources is forthcoming.